Ali Bagheri Kani for Al Mayadeen: Israelis striving to sabotage negotiations

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Iran's lead negotiator in the Vienna talks, Ali Bagheri Kani, considered that the path Iran followed during the negotiations was a successful one, noting that the negotiations during the previous days were focused on setting a framework for discussing the disputed points to speed up reaching an agreement.

In an interview for Al Mayadeen on Sunday, Kani clarified that his country was able to achieve good progress, adding that this progress could quickly set up the ground for serious negotiations.

He explained how the harmonizing of Russian and Chinese stances with that of Iran as well as their divergence with the Western side is apparent on multiple levels, pointing to the difference between the British and European positions in general, notably that "the opposite side has different priorities and visions."

Kani further asserted that Iran came to the negotiations table willingly and was not compelled in any way, which should further push the other parties to deal with the negotiations in a logical and creative fashion.

The lead negotiator explained that his country clarified its point of view regarding previous drafts, divulging that this clarification added points of contention atop the ones that existed with the previous government.

Regarding the blatant Israeli interference and their concern with the arrival of a beneficial deal for Iran, Bagheri Kani confirmed that the Israelis are indeed striving to sabotage the atmosphere outside the negotiations hall in an attempt to influence the outcome. 

The Iranian media spoke more than once about Western attitudes toward the negotiations, with representatives of the European Troika making great efforts to change the course of the negotiations in order to "score" concessions from China, Russia, Iran, and the European Union."

In the same context, the adviser to Iran's negotiating team, Mohammad Marandi, confirmed to Al Mayadeen earlier that the Europeans have changed their position slightly on the two drafts which the Iranians previously submitted.

Iran presented two drafts in the first phase of the seventh round of the Vienna meetings on nuclear commitments and the abolition of sanctions. According to the lead Iranian negotiator, the first draft is Iran's view on lifting sanctions, and the second draft focuses on Iran's nuclear commitments.

Tehran focused on the issue of lifting sanctions, stressing that it will not accept a new agreement or undertake any commitment beyond what was stated in the original 2015 agreement.